


When the World Fell Apart

by Arudon



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Basically everything is not as it seems, But with a catch, Doctor Midorima Shintarou, M/M, Major Character Injury, Sniper Midorima, This is a gift fic for draceempressa/Hairyuu Murasakimikado from tumblr/fanfiction, Zombie Haizaki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:52:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5211776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arudon/pseuds/Arudon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bright blue eyes stared out across the abandoned street from beneath the shadows of an overturned bus, the sky colored orbs flicking back and forth in search of any possible threats. One could never be too careful in the wilds like this: while the street may appear to be deserted, there could always be some lurking around, just out of sight. Zombie packs were notorious for lulling their prey into a false sense of security, before suddenly swarming them and making their victims the newest meal.</p><p>Kuroko shifted in the shadows, his hand gripping the handle of his machete tightly while he mentally prepared to leave cover and make a break for the opposite side of the street.<br/>_______________<br/>Zombies have overrun the Earth, leaving stranded survivors to fend for themselves. However, when the impossible occurs, the entire world may be changed forever as the very definition for what it means to be a survivor is altered.</p><p>Because in this world there are four kinds of people: ones who do everything they can to help others, ones who do what they can to help themselves, ones who cling desperately to the old ways, and those who give up and die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the World Fell Apart

**Author's Note:**

> So, I read a few zombie stories, played a bit of The Last of Us, and eventually just had to write this. The plot bunny was eating away at me!  
> I would like to ask that you read the chapter all the way through to fully understand what is going on. Remember, nothing is as they seem.

Bright blue eyes stared out across the abandoned street from beneath the shadows of an overturned bus, the sky colored orbs flicking back and forth in search of any possible threats. One could never be too careful in the wilds like this: while the street may appear to be deserted, there could always be some lurking around, just out of sight. Zombie packs were notorious for lulling their prey into a false sense of security, before suddenly swarming them and making their victims the newest meal.

Kuroko shifted in the shadows, his hand gripping the handle of his machete tightly while he mentally prepared to leave cover and make a break for the opposite side of the street. There were several obstacles between him and his goal, ones that could easily provide good cover in case there _were_ any watchers.

His target: an abandoned Seven Eleven convenience store, the disheveled store front sign still flashing OPEN. If the store still had power, then Kuroko could maybe get ahold of some fresh food and water; his own supplies having slowly been drained ever since he left the community.

Kuroko blinked as unwanted memories wafted to the surface at the mention of that name, images of a smiling Kise and Aomine as the taller one reached down to ruffle his own hair, a basketball rolling away from them. Red eyes would have watched them fondly, while Murasakibara would complain yet again about being hungry.

NO! Kuroko shook his head, shoving the memories back down. He had left the place for a reason! Akashi had turned the place into an inhospitable autocracy, and he had _no choice_ but to leave.

He just couldn’t take the executions anymore!

Shouldering his pack, Kuroko slid out from beneath the bus, the midday sun reflecting off his powder-blue hair and pale porcelain skin as he paused for just a moment, every sensory organ working overtime in search of any approaching walkers. He gripped his machete tighter, before ducking down into a crouch and sliding behind the destroyed vehicles, silently making his way closer to the Seven Eleven.

The cold clench of dread washed over Kuroko’s body as he stepped cautiously off the asphalt and onto the cracked pavement of the sidewalk, his gaze sweeping up and down the street yet again as paranoia gripped his heart. Once again seeing nothing, he made his way over to the convenience store, pausing before the door anxiously.

With baited breath, he reached forward, opening the door and wincing at the automated * _DING_ * that rang out through the shop. Stepping inside, Kuroko’s bright blue eyes scanned back and forth, his machete raised and ready. The infected could be easily alerted by a number of stimuli, and were incredibly sensitive to sound and smell.

If there were any present in the store, then that bell would definitely have alerted them.

As a minute passed by and nothing happened, Kuroko allowed the machete to drop down from its readied stance, a sigh of relief stealing out from his lips. He had been on his own for far too long; his nerves were frazzled to the point where he almost never let his guard down. Forcing himself to relax and think rationally, Kuroko decided to take stock of what he had available.

The place did indeed seem to have power, a good sign, and if he was lucky it might have working water as well. However, it appeared that looters had gotten to this place ahead of him, leaving very little behind.

Most if not all of the packaged goods had been stripped off the shelves, leaving only a few meager rations behind ranging from snack foods to canned tuna. The perishables weren’t looking too good either: something had smashed the glass doors keeping the food refrigerated, and now most of the fruits and vegetables had spoiled, creating an awful stench.

Still, looking around Kuroko could definitely see that it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Kuroko didn’t need a lot of food to keep him going (a useful trait in this god-forsaken world) so the quantity of food he had usually wasn’t an issue.

Pulling his pack off his back, he rifled through the contents to see what he had to start with.

2 rolls of gauze tape, 1 flashlight (needs new batteries), hunting knife, handgun with nine bullets, 3 power bars, 12 purification tablets, one pack of gum, two freeze dried meals (pilfered from an already ransacked REI), a lighter, a half empty can of propane, two shirts, an extra pair of socks, a whistle, and a miniature basketball keychain (for sentimental reasons).

Unhooking his canteen from his belt, Kuroko frowned at how light it felt. Sloshing it back and forth, his sensitive ears picked up the faint sounds of sloshing water, indicating that the canteen was nearly empty. Again, hopefully this place had running water. He would definitely have to check out the restroom (he had resorted to drinking collected and purified rain-water a long time ago).

Looking around the store, he began to catalog the things he could use. Picking up a basket from beside the door, he made his way through the aisles, selecting what little food there was to be had. Again, the looters hadn’t left him much, but he took what he could get ahold of.

By the time he had completed his rounds, he had gathered a total of seven power bars, four cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli, two bags of chips, three bricks of ramen noodles, an extra lighter, and a bag of beef jerky which he clutched to his chest as if it were a precious treasure.

Jerky was a prime food source, and Kuroko knew that if he rationed it out, he could last for an entire two weeks on this one bag alone.

Placing the new food items into his sack with a satisfied feeling of accomplishment, Kuroko then grabbed his canteen and moved to the back of the store, locating the door to the bathrooms. Out of sheer habit, he opened the door to the men’s bathroom and stepped inside, flicking on the lights as he did so.

Allowing the door to swing shut behind him, Kuroko made his way over to the sink, hope bubbling up in the pit of his stomach as he laid eyes on the sink.

 _‘Please let there be pressure, please let there be pressure, please let there be pressure,’_ he thought over and over as he unscrewed the cap of his canteen, veritably praying to any deity still listening.

With baited breath, Kuroko reached forward and twisted the knob of the faucet, his bright blue eyes staring at the nozzle expectantly.

A second passed.

Two.

Three.

Kuroko’s eyes fell, despair hitting him in the gut as his hopes were dashed, before suddenly a gurgling noise emanated from the pipes beneath the sink.

Finally, a steady stream of water erupted from the faucet, looking crystal clear and oh so drinkable.

Kuroko’s let out a cry of victory while a rare smile erupted across his dirty face. He couldn’t believe his luck! There, after months of living on his own and drinking purified rainwater, was fresh, drinkable tap water; purified by society and completely untouched by the apocalypse!

Smiling happily, Kuroko grabbed the canteen and held it under the stream, feeling exuberant for the first time in days.

This was almost too good to be true!

It was.

As if to balance out his incredible luck, a sound suddenly emanated throughout the bathroom that instantly made the scavenger’s blood run cold. A sound that Kuroko had hoped never to hear again.

A sound that haunted his nightmares, and plagued his every waking moment.

The moan of an infected.

Eyes widening in panic, Kuroko swung around to face the noise just as the door to one of the toilet stalls was flung open, the rusty metal hinges letting out a shriek of complaint as the force of the blast ripped one of them off the wall of the stall. Kuroko froze for just a moment as the infected corpse stumbled out, distracted for just a second by its curious appearance and unnatural gait.

The zombie was tall, easily as tall as Aomine (around 190 cm) with unusually bright red hair and curiously shaped split eyebrows. He was dressed in the Seven Eleven standard employee uniform, with a name tag reading  _Kagami Taiga,_ spelled in very messy handwriting. Red and blue blotches were scattered all over its skin, along with the characteristic black veins of the infected. It’s murderous, sickly yellow and red tinged eyes landed on Kuroko, and it let out a moaning roar as its mouth flapped open, revealing sticky teeth covered in saliva and blood.

Kuroko let out a panicked scream as his hand flashed to his belt, realizing too late that he had left his machete outside with his pack.

Shit! The one day everything was going right for him, _this_ had to happen!

He didn’t get much time to continue this thought as the infected suddenly decided to charge him, moving at a shambling gait typical of one of its kind, yet far faster than any other Kuroko had seen before. Reacting almost reflexively, Kuroko tucked his head in close to his body summersaulted out of the way, springing back to his feet a moment later in a maneuver that only came with months of living on the edge.

The charging zombie didn’t have enough time to stop before it ran headlong into the door, smacking against it with a solid _*WUMP!*_  Unfortunately for Kuroko, the hinges on this door were far stronger than the ones on the stall, and the blue painted slab of wood remained standing and intact.

Spinning about, the monster again focused its murderous eyes on Kuroko, its gaze filled with unending hunger and mindless longing. Opening its mouth, it charged forward again, its arms outstretched to reveal lesions of dead skin. Kuroko again dodged to the side, trying to get back over to the door, but the zombie seemed to remember the trick and instead swung its arms out wildly, one of them clipping Kuroko in the side of the head and sending him sprawling against the sink.

Kuroko gasped as his back hit the edge, his spine grinding against the stout porcelain in a painful manner that brought tears to his eyes. However, before he could recover his senses and move, the redheaded zombie was already upon him and crowding into his personal space, its bulk essentially cutting off any and all escape routes.

Lunging forward, the zombie’s mouth found its way to Kuroko’s left shoulder, its slobber getting all over his shirt.

And then…it bit down.

Kuroko’s eyes widened in shock, pain, and horror as the zombie’s teeth sank through his shirt, broke his skin, and lodged into the muscle there. The zombie let out a perverse moan, before a gush of blood splattered over the insides of its mouth.

The zombie froze, its entire body going ridged, while its teeth clenched up and refused to leave Kuroko’s flesh.

Kuroko gasped while his pupils narrowed to pinpricks, an ungodly pain sweeping through him. However, it was the reality of what had just happened that smashed his world apart.

He’d been bit.

Oh god. No. No. NO! NO! **NO!**

He’d been bit! He’d been _fucking bit!_ NO! _This can’t be happening! **NO!!!!!**_

Tears streamed down the side of his face as despair finally gripped his heart, a sobbing gasp escaping his lungs as he sagged against the sink, shivering and shaking in denial.

_‘No, God, why, no. NO! A zombie bit me, I can feel his teeth in me, he’s got me, HE’S GOT ME! I’m going to be **eaten** \- wait…why is this thing not moving?’_

Kuroko’s tears stopped as confusion replaced despair. Why hadn’t the zombie moved away? Why hadn’t it swallowed, or bit him again, or bashed him in the face? Or done anything, really?

What’s going on?

Kuroko’s eyes widened as the zombie began to shake, its large form vibrating violently against his body as if it was having a seizure. Suddenly, with an abruptness that startled the blue-head, the zombie retracted its teeth from the bite, not taking any of the flesh with it but instead staggering back, its body colliding with the stall behind it.

Now that Kuroko could actually see it, he could confirm that yes, that zombie did indeed seem to be having a seizure, its muscles spasming randomly while its eyes rolled back as it crumpled to the ground, appearing for all the world to be going through an epileptic fit.

Kuroko reached his right arm up to grasp his wounded shoulder, applying pressure to the now bleeding wound while his eyes never left the sight of the twitching and writhing zombie.

A sudden wave of nausea swept over him, and as soon as his back hit the wall he slid down it to rest on the floor, not three feet away from the redhead. The infected corpse let out a hacking retching sound, its hands flying to its throat as if it were choking on something. Its eyes were wide and frantic, panicked like a wounded animal stuck in a trap, and the muscle spasms only seemed to be getting worse.

Finally, with one last shudder, the zombie’s convulsions stopped, and its legs and arms drew up to its chest and into the fetal position. Kuroko panted in disbelief as he watched the last of the shudders settle, the pain in his shoulder almost completely forgotten in place of this new development.

What the hell was going on?

He began to see black spots hovering at the edges of his vision as he started to hyperventilate, and he realized that he might be going into shock.

Not surprising. He’d been fucking bit by a zombie. Who knows what kind of chemicals were coursing through him?! Hopefully he would die before he woke up. That would at least spare him the pain of losing his mind to the infection.

And with that last thought, heavy eyelids closed over pale blue eyes, and Kuroko’s exhausted body slumped boneless to the ground, the sweet embrace of unconsciousness rushing over him.

* * *

 Kuroko awoke slowly to the smell of something nice wafting into his nose. Opening his eyes, he tried to sit up but immediately desisted as a stab of pain flashed through him, emanating from his shoulder. He hissed in pain, before trying again, this time much slower. Looking around, he frowned in confusion as his gaze was met with several rows of shelves. It was dark outside, indicating that nighttime had fallen, but the light from a flickering lamppost across the street provided a little extra light.

Looking down, he saw his shirt had been stripped off of him, and bandages and gauze tape had been wrapped tightly around his left shoulder, the bandages slightly bloody. His brow furrowed in confusion, wondering what the hell happened to him, before it all came back to him like a sucker punch to the gut.

The convenience store. The food. The bathroom. The zombie. The _bite_ … oh _god_ the **_bite_**!

That’s right, he’d been bitten, and then the zombie had collapsed onto the ground.

He was now a walking time bomb; he had a maximum of three days before the infection overtook him and he changed into one of those walking corpses.

Another gust of that yummy smell wafted into his nose, and Kuroko felt his stomach rumble in anticipation. _‘Hmm, smells good,’_ he thought absently, before suddenly he froze.

He had passed out in the bathroom after the zombie had collapsed. He hadn’t had time to drag himself out of there, and he certainly hadn’t dressed his own wound.

So…if he didn’t do it, then that means someone else had.

But that made no sense! Who would take the time to patch up a boy who’d obviously been bitten? Any survivor could tell you that that’s a death sentence; there’s no cure! So who saved him?

Or rather, who saved him, and then decided to cook food for him?

“Oh good, you’re awake,” a voice said from behind him, and Kuroko spun around to meet a pair of dark red eyes glaring at him from behind the counter.

No, not glaring, Kuroko thought. The expression seemed to be serious, but he had spent enough time with Aomine to know when a scowl wasn’t really a scowl.

Also: _SHIT! THE ZOMBIE’S ALIVE!_

Jerking backwards, Kuroko instinctively cast his hand out across the ground, his eyes searching for his machete as panic overtook him. The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps hastened his efforts, and his blue eyes widened as he couldn’t find it anywhere near him. Grabbing ahold of the nearest available object (his flashlight) he spun around to strike the zombie when his hand was caught in an iron hard grip, the other’s hand large enough to completely encircle his wrist and halt his strike.

“Wait!” the panicked voice of the other said, another hand coming forward to grab ahold of Kuroko’s struggling body as the bluenette twisted and turned violently, his breath coming in pants as he struggled to free himself.

The redhead abruptly manhandled Kuroko into his lap, his iron hard arms drawing across the bluenette’s bare chest and holding him, pressing the panicking boy’s back against his own solid chest. After a minute of crazed struggling, the bluenette finally went limp, realizing that escape was futile at this point.

He leaned back against the other’s chest, his own heaving against the redhead’s arms as the adrenalin slowly passed out of his system, leaving him panting, shaky, and weak. “Are you okay?” the redhead asked quietly, his tone even and gentle as if comforting a wounded and frightened animal. Kuroko slowly nodded his head after a moment, to which the redhead grunted in approval.

“I’m going to let you go now, okay?” he said. “No fighting, got it? You’ll rip your bandaging even more.”

Kuroko nodded again, and the iron grip on his arms and chest gradually began to loosen, allowing him to slowly slide off the redhead’s lap and back onto the ground, turning to face him as he did so. Slowly, Kuroko raised his eyes to the redhead’s face, confusion marring his features.

All signs of infection seemed to have been scrubbed off the other’s body. The lesions of dead skin had mostly healed over, while the black veins and blotchy skin had disappeared altogether, leaving behind a nice, healthy tan. Even more surprising: any and all trace of that infectious yellow eyes that all the infected carried had been completely eradicated from the redhead’s gaze, revealing soothing red eyes the color of blood.

They reminded him slightly of Akashi’s, before he had changed into the emperor, but these were darker and more natural looking than Akashi’s had been. Not to mention the redhead was nowhere near Akashi’s otherworldly beauty.

That, and the fact that he was…taller.

“Who are you?” the redhead asked, staring intently at Kuroko with an expression full of concern, so different from the look he had when he bit him. “Do you know your name?”

Kuroko nodded dumbly. “K-Kuroko Tetsuya,” he said, his voice scratchy and strained after months of silence. The redhead nodded in satisfaction. “I’m Kagami Taiga. I used to work here before, well, you know….”

Kuroko stared dumbfounded at Kagami, his capacity for rational thought stretched to the breaking point. “Kagami…Taiga?” he asked.

_What the hell is going on?!_

“What…happened?” he finally asked. “You were a…zombie…you bit…but now you…what?” Kuroko stammered, his normally composed and polite speech breaking down into jumbled words as confusion of the utmost level reigned supreme in his mind. This man had been a zombie not six hours earlier, but now here he was practically cradling him like a newborn baby. What the fuck was he missing?

Kagami sighed. “This is going to sound crazy,” he said, placing a hand on the bluenette’s shoulder as if to physically brace him. “But I think your blood…kind of… _healed me,_ somehow.”

Kuroko blinked.

_What?_

Kagami placed both hands on his shoulders and gently helped him to his feet, a look of concern flashing across his face. “Come on, I have some food for you. I think you might still be in shock, and something warm should do you some good.”

Kuroko stared uncomprehendingly at Kagami, his hunger forgotten, the bite forgotten…everything forgotten, while one word continued to float around inside his head.

**_WHAT!!!!!!????_ **

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment, Kudos, or anything at all if you liked this!!! Please?? Pretty Please?!
> 
> Next chapter will feature Haizaki and Nijimura's part of the story, more discussion between Kuroko and Kagami, and maybe a glimpse of Midorima and Takao! Stay tuned and let me know what you think!


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